And william l



(No Model.)

W. J. BRASSINGTON.

Apparatus for Trimming S'ide Wheel Steamboat. No. 232,931. Patented Odt.5,1880.

FIG-3- N4 PETERS. PNOTU-LITNOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. 0 6V Unirnn Srla'rnsParent amen,

WALTER J. BRASSINGTON, OF WATKINS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHSOF HIS RIGHT TO AMOS J. MIOHENER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ANDWILLIAM L. BRASSINGTON AND JOHN D. BRASS- ING'ION, OF BROOKLYN,NEWVYORK.

APPARATUS FOR TRlWlh/HNG SEE WHEEL STEAMBOATS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 232,931, dated October5, 1880. Application filed June 18, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER J. BRASSING- TON, of WVatkins, Schuylercounty, New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inApparatusfor Trimming Side-Wheel Steamboats or Steamships; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification.

My invention relates to a method of trimmin g such vessels by means ofthe water lifted or thrown upward by the paddlewheels; and in generalterms it may be said to consist in I 5 tanks placed one on each side ofthe hull of the vessel in relation with the wheels to receive and retainwater so thrown up or lifted, and means for retaining or dischargingfrom each tank so much of the water received and retained by it as maybe needful to bring the vessel into trim.

Automatic devices may be employed for regulating the discharge. I donot, however, confine myself to automatic devices, and for the purposesof this specification I only describe one method in which the regulationof this discharge is performed by hand.

I also employ, in connection with the apparatus, a grating forpreventing ice from enter- 0 ing the tanks, which, in combination withthe tanks, is a part of my invention, as is also a deflector forchecking the upward motion of the water raised by the wheel.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a ver- 3 5 tica-l section through aportion of a boat having my invention. thereunto attached; and Fig. 2shows a vertical section of the detached apparatus enlarged, the betterto show the several parts. Fig. 3 is a front view.

A represents the hull of the boat,.B, the

paddlewheel.

G is a tank, which is preferably placed aft of the paddle-wheel andpermanently attached to the boat in such manner as to receive waterlifted or thrown upward by the wheel. One Or more of these tanks areplaced on each side of the boat in the relation specified but in somecases the tanks may be placed forward of the wheels, as the watercarried over by the wheels is considerable and would soon ac- 5ocumulate sufficient water to trim the boat. I therefore reserve,broadly, the right to place the tanks in any position so long as theyare in such relation with the wheels as to receive water lifted by orthrown from said wheels.

Superimposed above each tankOis an apron,

D, against which the water thrown up by the wheel impinges, and whichserves to direct the water into the tank. 1 do not confine myself to anyexact form of this apron, and reserve the right to use any form or anyequivlent means for directing the water into the tank. At some suitablepoint along the under surface of said apron I place a detlector, D,which checks the passage of the water upward and causes it to fall backinto the tank.

A collateral advantage secured by this arrangement is that much of thewater is prevented from passing up along the under side of the roof ofthe paddle-box to fall back upon the wheel. The action of the water sofalling back in the ordinary way is opposed to the direction of rotationof the wheel, and consequently absorbs considerable power, which issaved by this feature of my invention.

I also place gratings-1G between the wheel and the entrances to thetanks to prevent the accumulation of lumps of ice, sticks, and otherfloating bodiesin the tanks, and in cold Weather 1 may use steam-pipesin or around said tanks to prevent freezing in them.

1 also provide means for letting all the water out of, preventing theentrance of water into, and regulating the quantity of water retainedby, said tanks. I do not limit myself to any particular means foraccomplishing these objects, but illustrate my invention by showing onemethod of carrying out each.

To prevent the water from entering into the tank, I pivot to the bottomof the tank, under 0 the apron D, a swinging gate or trap-door, F,which, when raised into the position shown in Fig. 2, shuts out thewater from the main part of the tank, and when lowered into the positionshown in Fig. 1 admits the water to the tank.

For letting all thewater out of the tank, or letting out a part andretaining the remainder, I use side gates, G, sliding vertically in waysformed in or attached to the side of the tank. These gates may beoperated by hand-Wheels acting through intermediate shafts,bevel-gearing, racks, and pinions upon said gates, as indicated, or inany other suitable manner; or they may be connected to automaticdevices, an example of which I will briefly describe. A pendulum placedover the keel of the Vessel, having its plane of oscillation at rightangles with the keel and provided with a heavy bob, is connected withvalve mechanism which inducts and educts steam to and fromsteamcylinders whose pistons are connected by intermediatemechanism withthe aforesaid gates, to raise or lower or wholly or partially open orclose them.

There are indeed many ways in which these gates may be operated andarranged, and I do not limit myself to any precise arrangement or modeof operation.

What I claim as my invention is '1. The combination, with the sidewheels of a steam-vessel, of tanks arranged one or more on each side ofthe hull and above the waterline, deflectors or their equivalents fordirecting the water raised by the wheels into the tanks, means,substantially as set forth, for preventing the water raised by thewheels from entering the tanks or allowing the water to enter therein,and valves or their equivalents for discharging the water from eachtank, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, withv the paddle-wheel B and tank 0, of a grating,E, arranged between the paddle-wheel and theinterior of the tank,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, with the side wheels of a steam-vessel, of tanksarranged one or more on each side of the hull, means, substantially asdescribed, for directing the water raised by the wheels into the tanks,a grating to prevent the ingress of ice or foreign matter into thetanks, and means, substantially as set forth, for discharging the waterfrom each tank, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with the side wheels of a steam-vessel, of aprons Dand tanks (3, arranged one or more on each side of the hull, and eachprovided with a swinging gate, F, in its bottom, substantially asdescribed, and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the side wheels, B, of a steam-vessel, ofaprons D and tanks 0, arranged as set forth, and provided each with aswinging gate, F, in its bottom and discharging-gates G, substantiallyas described.

6. The combination, with the side wheels, B, of aprons 1), deflectors D,and tanks 0, arranged asset forth, and each provided with a swinginggate, F, in its bottom and discharging-gates G, substantially asdescribed, and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination, with the side wheel, B,

of the tank 0, arranged as set forth, and provided with the swinginggate F in its bottom and verticallysliding gates G G in its sides,substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

WALTER J. BRASSINGTON.

Witnesses:

EDWARD H. WALES, OHAs. M. Hreems.

